Flight, April 1924

THE US. NAVY C.S. "THREE-PURPOSE" BIPLANE

   WE show in the accompanying illustration a new type of machine constructed for the U.S. Navy Air Service by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co. The C.S. "Three-Purpose" 'plane, as it is called, combines the functions usually performed by three distinct types - bombing, torpedo launching, and long-range scouting.
   It is claimed for this machine that it is the lightest 'plane for its horse-power yet constructed, and that it is able to fly with more than its own weight as a load. It has been usual to construct individual types to meet the different functions that this machine can fill, so that the C.S. marks an important departure from past practice in the design of machines used for operations with the fleet.
   The C.S. 'plane is fitted with a 650 h.p. Wright T.2 engine, and can be rapidly converted from a seaplane into a landplane, or vice versa. It is mainly constructed of steel and duralumin, an exception being in the wings, which are of wood and fabric construction. The wings are designed so as to fold back, thereby enabling the machine to be stored in the smallest possible space.
   Provision is made for launching the C.S. into the air from a catapult mounted on the deck of a battleship, whilst it will also operate from the flying deck of an aircraft carrier. Fully loaded for a long flight, the C.S. carries 15 barrels of petrol and one barrel of lubricating oil, giving a range of about 2,200 miles non-stop. Its landing speed is 55 m.p.h., and the maximum speed, as a landplane, is 105 m.p.h. The weight of the machine is about 4,000 lb.
   From our illustration of this machine it will be noticed that the top plane is of smaller span than the lower, which measures 56 ft., and the single pair of interplane struts each side slope inwards. The wide spacing of the landing chassis (wheels or floats), giving ample room for the mounting of the torpedo or bombs, is also shown.
   The C.S. is fully equipped with "all modern improvements," having a radio set for both sending and receiving, two machine guns, lights in the cockpits, and navigation lights for night flying.
   The first of these machines was recently tested at the naval air station at Anacostia, D.C., and gave very satisfactory results.